Mine car spring bumper and drawhead



July 4; 1939. v. WILLOUGHBY MINE CAR SPRING BUMPER AND DRAWHEAD Filed July 1, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BY W? M I ATTORNEY M'ZZo y 1939. v, WILLOUGHBY 2,164,558

MINE CAR SPRING BUMPER AND DRAWHEAD Filed July 1, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m Ill: V//////////// v I Z' LZ FZZZZ M 1. 4

ATTORNEY Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE MINE CAR SPRING BUMPER AND DRAWHEAD Application Jnly l, 1937, Serial No. 151,508

12 Claims.

' This invention relates in general to spring bumper and drawhead arrangements and in particular to such arrangements for use on mine or industrial cars. In spring mounted end members as previously constructed the bumper and drawhead moved independently of each other and consequently required a bumper of sufficient strength to resist the bufiing strains and a draw element of sufficient strength to resist the draft lo-stresses to which it would be subjected. It is an object, therefore, of this invention to provide a combined bumper and drawhead in order that each may mutually assist the other, thus eliminating a considerable amount of material.

15 A further object of the invention is the provision of a combined spring bumper and drawhead arrangement which will inclose and act upon a set of springs to resist all movements thereof.

A still further object of the invention is the 20 provision of a spring bumper and drawhead arrangement which will inclose the springs and may be readily attached to or removed from existing car end structures.

These and other objects of the invention willbe 25 apparent to persons skilled in the art from a study of the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an end View of one form of the invention with parts broken away to more clearly 30. disclose the construction;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is asectional view taken substantially on line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

35: Fig. 4 is a plan view of the construction of Fig. 1 with parts broken away to more clearly disclose the construction;

Fig. 5 is a half end view of a modified form of end arrangement;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 66 of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 5 with portions broken away to more clearly disclose the construction.

45 Referring now-to the drawings in detail, itwill be seen that an end member of conventional form is attached to the bulb angle side sills Z,- thus forming a rigid car'frame. The end member in the instance shownconsists ofa one-piece casting having a lower horizontal portion 4 upon which the floor F will be supported and attached and this lower horizontal portion is joined to an upper horizontal portion 6 by means of an in- 55 clined bracing portion 8. 'The upper horizontal portion and inclined portion are suitably braced by means of gussets 10 which, together with the upper horizontal portion, merge into a transverse end Wall I2 which extends substantially vertical between the side walls I4 by means of which the 5 member is attached to the side sills. The upper and lower edges of the vertical end wall merge into outwardly directed upper and lower horizontal walls l6 and l8'respectively spaced apart a sufiicient distance to receive the combined spring bumper and drawhead. As shown in Fig. 1 the upper flange of 'the end member is connected to the side wall'by means of a downwardly and outwardly inclined wall '20, while in Fig. 5 the side wall !4 is extended to meet the upper flange which necessitates the use of a double angle member 22 in order that the bumper and drawhead member may be properly retainedin position. This double angle member will not only properly position the bumper and drawhead but will also greatly strengthen the upper corners by tying the side walls and upper flangestogether. In both forms of end members the side walls are suitably braced by gussets 24 which provide additional area for attachment of the end mem- 25 bers to the side sills, while the upper and lower flanges l6 and-28 are provided centrally thereof with elongated openings '26 adapted to receive and permit relative sliding movement of a coupling pin'28. Attention is directed tothe fact that in 30 Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive the lower flange I8 is provided with upwardly directed stop flanges 21 which will serve as stops preventing transverse movement of the bumper and drawhead.

Referring now to the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4 it will be seen that the combined bumper and drawhead is formed as a single unit from two pieces of pressed metal. One of these pieces is of conventional form having curved bumping face 3|] and rearwardly directed upper and lower horizontal flanges-:32 and .34 respectively which are of-considerable depth and are adapted to be welded or otherwise secured asat Wto a vertically extendingirearplate 36, theupper portion of which is directed horizontallyJoutward as at 38 in spaced relation above the upper flange 32 of the bumper, thus providing space for reception of-a coupling link (not shown). Flanges 32, 34 and -38 are provided with aligned openings through which the coupling pin-may be inserted, while the vertical wall 36 is'formed with a central opening 40 in order'to receive the rear end of the'coupling link (not shown). It is thus seen that the bumper and drawhead member is substantially of box section with open ends above which is spaced a tongue or flange for reception of the coupling link.

In order that the bumper and drawhead may be resiliently mounted upon the end structure a plurality of bolts having heads 32 curved in conformity to the bufling face are provided. These bolts have their shank portions 43 extended rearwardly through the rear wall 36 of the drawhead element and also through the vertical wall l2 of the cast end member to receive a nut Al i and locking means by means of which they are anchored to the end construction. The bolt shanks are formed with elongated flattened areas 35 over which a slotted plate d8 may be slid in order that the associated bolt may not turn relative to the drawhead. This slotted plate has its forward edge beveled as at 49 in order that it may be easily driven in place and compress the spring 50 which has one end bearing upon the plate, while the other end bears upon the head of the bolt. The rear wall of the drawhead has openings 52 formed therein for passage of the bolt and these openings are of suflicient size as to permit passage of the bolt head therethrough and to receive thimbles 54 adapted to bear upon the outer face of the end wall and the inner face of the slotted plates, thus positively spacing the plates with respect to the end wall. This end construction is readily assembled after the bumper and drawhead element has been fabricated by merely inserting the bolts with the springs thereon into the element through the large openings of the rear wall, after which the slotted plates may be driven into place, compressing the springs and retaining the bolts and springs within the element. The thimbles are now slid into position over the bolts and the entire assembly introduced into the end member and nuts M screwed into position and locked and the assembly is ready for use.

In the form shown in Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive the bumper and drawhead element is very similar to that previously describe-d and so far as possible similar reference characters have been applied. In this form, however, the rear wall is not extended upwardly above the top flange of the bumper element, but instead a U-shaped plate 66 is welded to the central portion, thus forming the draw space for reception of the coupling link. In this form and in order to reduce the opening in the rear wall of the drawhead element the bolts have been formed with removable heads 62 which heads abut the inner face of the bumper and have a rear extension 63 adapted to have threaded engagement with the bolt shank 64. This bolt shank extends through the rear wall of the drawhead and through the end wall of the end member to receive the nut '65 and locking means 55. The rear wall of the drawhead is provided with an opening 68 through which a thimble 70 may extend and bear against the end member at one end, while the other end will bear against the inner face of a stop plate 712. This stop plate in the present instance is formed of sufficient area to accommodate both bolt shanks, thus strengthening the rear wall of the member assisting it to resist draft forces. Springs 14 are provided surrounding the bolt shank and head extension and bear at one end upon the stop plate and at the other end upon the inner surface of the shouldered head, thus resiliently spacing the head and stop plate. This unit may be readily assembled by inserting the spring and bolt heads into the box-like bumper member through the ends, after which the stop plates '52 will be driven into position and the bolt shanks screwed into the rear extension of the heads. This assembling may be done on a bench, after which the entire unit may be applied to the car by sliding thimbles 7E3 into position and inserting the bolt shanks through the end walls of the end member and tightening the securing nuts 65, after which the construction is ready for use.

The operation of both of these constructions is as follows: A buffing force will cause inward movement of the bumper and drawhead element thus pushing the bolt heads and bolts inwardly and compressing the springs since the stops or followers cannot move inwardly due to the thimbles. Upon application of a draft force the bumper and drawhead unit will move outwardly carrying with it the stops or followers and again compressing the springs since the bolt heads cannot move due to their being anchored upon the end wall of the end member. It is obvious that under continual buffing action the bolts might be bent inward due to the curvature of the bumper but this may be readily prevented if necessary by use of stops l5 secured to the interior surface of the bumper adjacent the bolt heads. These stops may be separate as shown in Fig. 4 or continuous as shown in Fig. '7.

While the illustrated constructions have been described more or less in detail, it is obvious that various modifications and rearrangements of parts will be apparent to persons skilled in the art and all such modifications and rearrangements of parts are contemplated as fall within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bumper and drawhead device for mine cars comprising in combination with a car end member, a combined bumper and drawhead element slidably carried by the end member and including front and rear portions, headed bolts slidably carried by the end member and normally projecting outwardly therefrom into abutting engagement with the bumper and drawhead element, springs surrounding the bolts and bearing at their outer ends upon the bolt heads, said bolt heads transmitting bufiing forces to the springs, spacing means maintaining the inner end of the springs in spaced relation to the end member, and means interposed between the inner ends of the springs and the rear portion of the element to transmit draft forces to the springs.

2. A bumper and drawhead device for mine oars comprising in combination with a car end member, a combined bumper and drawhead element slidably carried by the end member, headed bolts slidably carried by the end member and normally projecting outwardly therefrom ,into abutting engagement with the bumper and drawhead element, springs surrounding the bolts and bearing at their outer ends upon the bolt heads, said bolt heads transmitting buffing forces to the springs, means interposed between the inner ends of the springs and said element to transmit draft forces to said springs, and spacing means extending through said element to maintain said last-named means in spaced relation to the end member for reception of buffing forces.

3. A bumper anddrawhead device for mine cars comprising in combination with a car end member, a combined bumper and drawhead element slidably carried by the end member, said element consisting of a flanged bumper and a vertically positioned draft plate rigidly secured together, headed bolts slidably carried by the end member and projecting outwardly therefrom throughthe draft plate, springssurrounding the bolts and bearing at their outer ends upon the bolt heads, said bolt heads normally abutting the bumper for transfer of buffing forces to the springs, follower means interposed between the draft plate and inner ends of the springs for transfer of draft forces to the springs, and spacing means extending through said draft plate to maintain said follower means spaced from the end member for the reception of bufiing forces.

A. A bumper and drawhead device for mine cars comp-rising in combination with a car end member, a combined bumper and drawhead element slidably carried by the end member, said element consisting of a flanged bumper and a vertically positioned draft plate rigidly secured together, headed bolts slidably carried by the end member and projecting outwardly therefrom through openings in the draft plate, springs surrounding the bolts and bearing at their outer ends upon the bolt heads, said bolt heads normally abutting the bumper for transfer of buffing forces to the springs, follower means interposed between the draft plate and inner ends of the springs for the transfer of draft forces to the springs, and spacing means extending through the plate openings to maintain the stop means in spaced relation to the end member for reception of buffing forces.

5. A bumper and drawhead device for mine cars comprising in combination with a car end member, a combined bumper and drawhead element slidably carried by the end member, said element consisting of a flanged bumper and a vertically positioned draft plate rigidly secured together, headed bolts slidably carried by the end member and projecting outwardly therefrom through openings in the draft plate, springs surrounding the bolts and bearing at their outer ends upon the bolt heads, said bolt heads normally abutting the bumper for transfer of buffing forces to the springs, follower means interposed between the draft plate and inner ends of the springs for the transfer of draft forces to the springs, and spacing means extending through the plate openings to maintain the stop means in spaced relation to the end member for reception of buffing forces, said plate openings being of suflicient size to permit passage of the bolt heads and springs therethrough for assembly of the device.

6. A bumper and drawhead device for mine cars comprising in combination with a car end member, a combined bumper and drawhead element slidably carried by the end member, said element consisting of a flanged bumper and a vertically positioned draft plate rigidly secured together, headed bolts slidably carried by the end member and projecting outwardly therefrom through openings in the draft plate, springs surrounding the bolts and bearing at their outer ends upon the bolt heads, said bolt heads normally abutting the bumper for transfer of bufling forces to the springs, follower means interposed between the draft plate and inner ends of the springs for the transfer of draft forces to the springs, and spacing means extending through the plate openings to maintain the stop means in spaced relation to the end member for reception of bufling forces, said bolt heads being removable to permit assembly and disassembly of the device.

'7. A bumper and drawhead device for mine cars comprising in combination with a car end member, a combined bumper and drawhead element slidably carried by the end member, said element consisting of a flanged bumper and a vertically positioned draft plate rigidly secured together, headed bolts slidably carried by the end member and projecting outwardly therefrom through the draft plate, springs surrounding the bolts and bearing at their outer ends upon the bolt heads, said-bolt heads normally abutting the bumper for transfer of buffing forces to the springs, follower means interposed between the draft plate and inner ends of the springs for the transfer of draft forces to the springs, spacing means extending through said draft plate to maintain said follower means in spaced relation to the end member'for reception of bufling forces, and stop means on said end member to limit transverse movement of the device.

8. A bumper and drawhead device for mine cars comprising in combination with a car end member, a combined bumper and drawhead element slidably carried by the end member, said element consisting of a flanged bumper and a vertically positioned draft plate rigidly secured together to form a box-like elem'ent, headed bolts slidably carried by the end member and projecting outwardly therefrom through the draft plate into the interior of the box-like element, springs surrounding the bolts inside the element and bearing at their outer ends upon the bolt heads, said bolt heads normally abutting the bumper for transfer of buffing forces to the springs, follower means within the element between the inner ends of the springs and the draft plate for the transfer of draft forces to the springs, and spacing means extending through said draft plate to maintain said follower means in spaced relation to the end member for reception of bufling forces.

9. A bumper and drawhead device for mine cars comprising in combination with a car end member, a combined bumper and drawhead element slidably carried by the end member, said element consisting of a flanged bumper and a vertically positioned draft plate rigidly secured together to form a box-like element, headed bolts slidably carried by the end member and projecting outwardly therefrom through the draft plate into the interior of the box-like element, springs surrounding the bolts inside the element and bearing at their outer ends upon the bolt heads, said bolt heads normally abutting the bumper for transfer of bumng forces to the springs, follower means within the element between the inner ends of the springs and the draft plate for the transfer of draft forces to the springs, said draft plate having openings therein of suificient size to permit passage of the bolt heads and springs, and spacing means extending through the plate openings to maintain said follower means in spaced relation to the end member for reception of bufling forces.

10. A bumper and drawhead device for mine cars comprising in combination with a car end member, a combined bumper and drawhead element slidably carried by the end member, said element consisting of a flanged bumper and a vertically positioned draft plate rigidly secured together to form a box-like element, headed bolts slidably carried by the end member and projecting outwardly therefrom through the draft plate into the interior of the box-like element, springs surrounding the bolts inside the element and bearing at their outer ends upon the bolt heads, said bolt heads normally abutting the bumper for transfer of buffing forces to the springs, follower means Within the element between the inner ends of the springs and the draft 'plate for the transfer of draft forces to the springs, said bolt heads being removable to permit assembly and disassembly of the device by insertion of the bolt heads and springs through the ends of the box-like element, and spacing means extending through said draft plate to maintain said follower means in spaced relation to the end member for reception of buffing forces.

11. A bumper and drawhead device for mine cars, comprising, in combination with a car end member, a drawhead element slidably carried by the end member, a bumper secured to said element, spring actuated means slidably supported by said end member and cooperating with the bumper in such a manner as to constantly urge the latter away from the end member, follower means interposed between said spring actuated means and drawhead element, said follower means being so arranged as to shift upon application of draft forces to transmit said forces to the spring actuated means, and spacing means disconnected from the follower means and extending through the drawhead element to maintain said follower means in spaced relation to the end member for transmission of buffing forces to the spring actuated means.

12. A bumper and drawhead device for railway cars, comprising, in combination with a car end member, a combined bumper and drawhead element slidably supported by the end member, spring actuated means slidably supported by the end member and abutting the combined bumper and drawhead element and arranged to yieldably resist buffing forces to which said element is subjected, a spacer engaged with the end member, and follower means normally engaging the spacer within the bumper and drawhead element and arranged in cooperative relation with the spring actuated means and said bumper and drawhead element to transmit draft forces to said spring actuated means.

VICTOR WILLOUGHBY. 

